Account-file



W.. M. PEARSL. ACCOUNT EILE, APPLICATION. man N.QV- 28.. 1.911,. RENEWED MAR. 9, 1920.

1,354,837. Patented M5, 1920.

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INVENTOR YWITN ESSES Q m MHZ/K1 6667 66 ATTORN EY UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. PEARSE, OF NE NARK, OHIO.

ACCOUNT-FILE.

Application filed November 28, 1917, Serial No. 204,412. Renewed March 9, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. PEARsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Account-File, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an account file, and more particularly to the class of loose sheet bill holders or files, designed for retaining and to permit the easy handling of statements, bills, receipts, indices, or other record sheets for ready reference or the removal thereof.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a holder or file of this character, wherein the record sheets are disposed between indices or division cards in the form of stiff spacer sections or sheets, and confined in a stack within the filing body, which is of novel form and of book cover style so as to be readily portable, and whereby any portion of the stack or section or sheet, when raised a determined distance on the filing pin, will automatically release the top of said body for the opening thereof to allow free access to a particular sheet for reference or removal with despatch, without disarranging the order of the record sheets.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holder of this character wherein any individual sheet may be examined or an entry made thereon without necessitating the complete reversal of the imposed sheets, or any particular sheet may be removed with despatch leaving the others in order.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve this character of holders or files, to the end that efficiency will be had, rapidity in the handling of the same, and the maintaining of order thereof.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of con struction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of an ac- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Serial No. 364,547.

count holder or file constructed in accordance with the invention.

F 1g. 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof shpwmg the top of the body closed and locked.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the top of the body open.

F 1g. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation show ng by full lines the top section having its hinged connections locked and by dotted lines said top section unlocked for the detachment of the top section.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several vlews in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the body of the holder or file, which is of book cover style, comprises a bottom section 10 of substantially rectangular shape and con stitutes a base slab or plate, 11 the lower part of the back, 12 the upper part of the back, and 13 the top of said body, the upper part 12 being fixed to the top 13 at one longer edge thereof, while the lower part 11 of the back is fixed at one longer edge of the bottomv 10. The parts 11 and 12, together with the top 13, are of a length considerably less than the length of the bottom 10, and also said top 13 in width is considerably less than the width of said bottom, so that the contents, when within the body, are readily visible and accessible for a purpose presently described.

The parts 11 and 12 of the back of the body on the outer side thereof at their meeting edges are provided with companion hinge leaves 14 formed with the usual pintle sleeves 15 receiving the pintles 16 of the hinges, the pintles being fixed in the sleeves 15 of the hinge leaves carried by the lower part of the back, while the hinge leaves of the upper part 12 are loose upon the pintles, thereby enabling the top 13 and part 12 to be detached from the part 11 and the base 10 of the account file. To prevent the accidental separation of the leaves of the hinges swingingly connecting the parts 11 and 12 together, there is pivotally mounted on the part 11 a latch 17 which is normally in the position shown in Fig. 4: of the drawing by full lines, so as to retain the hinge leaves together, andin this position of the latch 17 end of the latch. This keeps the latch down when the file is opened and prevents the revolution of'the sleeve of the hinge from raising the latch and releasing the hinges.

Imposed upon the base section 10 of the body in the required order are series of record sheets 19 and spacer sections '20, the latter separating the record sheets 19 in groups arranged in alphabetical order, the spacer sections being formed with tabs 21 which are disposed in stepped relation, and have impressed or otherwise indicated there on indicia indicative of the alphabetical order of the groups of record sheets. Such indicia are readily visible beyond the outer longer edges of the sheets which are stacked together with the spacer sections upon said base 10 of the body, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3 of the drawing. The spacer sections 20 and their .tabs 21 are suitably reinforced at the exposed edges, so as to assure longevity thereof in the continued use of the file, and the record sheets and spacer sections are preferably of a shape and size approximating the shape and size of the" base 10 of the body of the file. The spacer sections are preferably made from relatively stiff material, while the record sheets are of thinner material and the accounts, bills, statements, receipts, or other like sheets, have the entry of records thereon.

The base 10 and top 13 of the body have suitably fixed therein pins 22 and 23, respectively, which are adapted to aline with each other when the body is closed and are disposed vertically in such alinement contiguous to the parts 11 and 12 of the back, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, for a purpose presently described.

On the closing of the top 13 relative to the bottom 10 of the body, the pin 23 will aline with the pin 22 and the meeting ends thereof will contact with each other to form a hanger for the record sheets 19. The spacer sections 20 are provided with registering apertures or holes 24 for the reception of said pins 22 and 23, the spacer sections 20 being of a width sufficient to keep the record sheets 19 pressed out smooth and prevent the corners thereof from curling or being torn. The dis-* position of the pins 22 and 23 relative to the parts 11 and 12 of the back of the body and the perforations 24: in the sheets and sections 19 and 20, respectively, position'the inner lower'edges of said sheets and sections close to the inner faces of said parts 11 and 12 of the body for a purpose presently described.

Formed in the part 11 rising from the bottom 10 of the body is a suitable socket in which is fixed a keeper sleeve 25 which has its upper outwardly beveled end 26 protruding beyond the top edge of said part 11. Formed in the part 12 on the top 13 of said body is a vertical guideway 27, a portion of which opens as at 28 through the inner face of said part 12, and in this guideway 27 is slidably fitted the stem 29 of a tripping looking pin which is formed at its upper end with a right angular extension constituting the tripping arm 30 thereof. The arm is disposed in the path of the upward movement of the topmost spacer section 20 and the remaining imposed record sheets and spacer sections of the stack upon the base 10, when the top of the body is closed, for the automatic tripping of the locking member. The said member has its stem 29 engaged in the keeper sleeve 25 for locking the top closed, the tripping of the locking member being designed to release the top for the opening of the body from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, thereby enabling a portion of the stack of record sheets and spacer sections to be removed from the body or access to be had to any particular record sheet. The purpose of extending the beveled upper end of the sleeve 25 above, the back is to prevent the locking pin from sliding over the inside of the back upon closing the file.

The stem 29 of the locking member is disposed adjacent to the pins 22 and 23, and the tripping arm 30 overhangs the path of movement of the record sheets and spacer sections, so that when the upper topmost spacer section is raised from the stack, together with any of the record sheets or alone, it will contact with the arm 30 and the continued upward movement thereof will release the stem 29 of the locking member from the keeper sleeve 25, thereby freeing the top 13 so that it may be swung on the hinges to open position, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, thereby giving rec access to the body of the file for the removal of any particular record sheet or the making of an entry thereon. The parts 11 and 12 forming the back of the bodyserve as a gauge for the adjacent edges of the sheets and sections to keep the same straight and even, and also in guiding them when raised for effecting the automatic tripping of the locking mem her to permit the opening of the body for the removal of those of the record sheets required.

When the body of the file is closed, the record sheets are readily visible and may be easily raised up to permit an entry to be made thereon or for inspection of the same.

The top '13 of the body has mounted thereon a button 31 constituting a rest therefor when open. On the opening of the body a predetermined number of record sheets and spacer sections can be imposed both upon the bottom 10 and the top 13 of'said body, and

will be held in order by the respective pins 22 and 23 carried thereby. lVhen' the body of the file is closed the accidental removal of the record sheets from the file pins 22 and 23 is prevented, yet the said sheets may be inspected or entries made thereon in a convenient manner. The alphabetical order permits ready reference thereto with despatch, while the particular form of the body of the file assures the free handling of its contents without inconvenience to the user. The pin 22 pierces the statements near the head rule thereof, so that the pin is not in the way when a charge is made. This allows the statements to be turned forward over the pin 22 when making a charge, whereas if the pin was located anywhere below the rule heading of the statements, it would be necessary to remove all the statements above the one to be charged, so as to write on the same.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and manner and use of the file will be clearly understood and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted.

However, it is contemplated within thescope of the invention to make changes, variations and modifications therein, such as come properly within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim is:

1. A file of the character described, comprising a base, a top above the same, and a sectional back swingingly connecting the top with the base, pins mounted in the base and top for alinement with each other contiguous to the back, a series of record sheets, pierced at a point for loose engagement with the pins, and a locking member to fasten the top against swinging movement and automatically tripped by the record sheets on the raising thereof for releasing said locking member.

2. A file of the character described, comprising a base, a top above the same, and a sectional back swingingly connecting the top with the base, pins mounted in the base and top for alinement with each other contiguous to the back, a series of record sheets pierced at a point for loose engagement with the pins, and a locking member mounted in the back to fasten the top against swinging movement and automatically tripped by the record sheets on the raising thereof for releasing said locking member.

3. A file of the character described, comprising a body formed with a'bottom, back and top, the back being in two parts, hinges connecting the parts of the back, file pins carried by the top and bottom, and a looking memberin one part of the back and engageable with the other part to fasten the same together and adapted to be automatically tripped by the contents of the body on the raising thereof from the bottom.

4. A file of the character described, comprising a body formed with a bottom, back and top, the back being in two parts, hinges connecting the parts of the back, file pins carried by the top and bottom and in vertical alinement with each other contiguous to the back, a locking member in one part of the back and engageable in the other part to fasten the same together and adapted to be automatically tripped by the contents of the body on the raising thereof from the bottom.

5. A file of the character described, comprising a body having a swinging top, means for permitting the separation of the top from the body, filing pins mounted in the top and bottom of said body in vertical alinement with each other, whereby record sheets pierced by the pins and supported upon the bottom of the body will be retained against removal therefrom, and means for locking the top against movement, said means being automatically tripped for releasing the same by the raising of any one or all of the record sheets within the body.

6. A file of the character described, comprising a bOC y formed with a bottom, a top, and a back having two parts fixed to the top and bottom, respectively, hinges connecting the parts together for the swinging of the top to open position, a keeper sleeve in one part of the back, a trip lock in the other part of the back and engageable with the sleeve to lock thetop closed, an extension arm on the lock and overhanging the records within the body when the top is closed, and record-retaining means in the body contiguous to the back, whereby rec-- ords thereon when raised relative to the body vill automatically trip the lock for the freeing of the top to permit opening thereof for the removal of the records.

7. In a fileof the character described, comprising a sectional body adapted to be opened, record retaining means within the body, and tripping means for locking the body closed and automatically released by the movement of the records on the retaining means when moved a predetermined distance for the opening of the top to permit the removal of the records.

8. A file of the character described, comprising a body formed with a bottom, a top, and a back having two parts fixed to the top and bottom, respectively, hinges connecting the two parts together for the swinging of the top to open position, a keeper sleeve in the lower part of the back, and having its In testimony, that Iclaim the foregoing upper end beveled and protruding above the as my oWn, I have hereto afiixed my signaupper edge of said part a gravity trip lock ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

in the upper part of the back and engage- WILLIAM M. PEARSE. able with the sleeve to lock the back closed, Witnesses: whereby the lock Will be guided by the up- MARIE HONEKAMP,

per end of the sleeve. FRANK E. B RNETT. 

